Serpent Ancestor

”What nonsense are you spouting!”

Lin Cai opened her mouth, and a mouthful of thick phlegm sprayed out. No, it wasn’t phlegm; it was a multicolored poison!

”Collect!”

Xu Hei controlled the Ten Thousand Poison Gourd, inhaling sharply to absorb the poison. Then, with a furious shout, he unleashed the Dragon Shatter Roar!

”Roar!”

The sound waves surged forward, sending Lin Cai flying off the stage, where she landed far away, falling into a deep coma.

Before she hit the ground, Hai Teng caught her from a distance and gently placed her on the ground.

The outcome was decided!

Xu Hei let out a long breath. Earlier, he hadn’t noticed any panic in Lin Cai’s demeanor, indicating she didn’t recognize the poison. Yet, there was a force within her that could neutralize the toxin.

That kind of poison originated from a certain indelible contamination, used only by the Sea God Sect.Aside from Xu Bai, Xu Hei didn’t know anyone else who could easily dispel it.

”This woman is highly suspicious, but I have no evidence.”

”Forget it, I only have a vague understanding and can’t jump to conclusions. After all, it’s Hai Teng’s business and doesn’t concern me much,” Xu Hei thought to himself.

Everyone has secrets, and Xu Hei couldn’t impose his judgment on others.

But he had to be cautious of Lin Cai.

After checking Lin Cai’s injuries, Hai Teng administered a healing pill to her and then had Hai Er take her away.

”Xu Hei,” Hai Teng raised his head, his gaze fixed on Xu Hei. ”Lin Cai is my fiancée. You injured her, and today, no matter what, you and I must have a battle! Even if we don’t meet on the stage, I’ll make you pay outside!”

Hai Teng, though straightforward, had the responsibility expected of a man. The Ancestor had instructed him to protect Lin Cai, and that was his duty.

”Anytime,” Xu Hei nodded calmly.

Xu Bai was quite surprised. Hai Teng, usually so single-minded, was showing the proper demeanor in such a situation. She had underestimated him.

The Water Kylin wasted no time and immediately announced, ”Congratulations to all of you for advancing to the top sixteen.”

”The quarterfinals won’t follow a draw system. I’ll rank you based on the time spent in your previous battles. First will face sixteenth, second will face fifteenth, and so on.”

A light screen appeared in the sky, listing the rankings from first to sixteenth.

First was Xiong Dabao, who had a bye, with zero time used.

Second was Xu Bai; her opponent forfeited before even stepping on stage, so her time was nearly zero as well.

Following were Gong Tianhe, Bai Luo, Hai Teng, and others whose opponents had forfeited.

This rule was essentially fair and just.

Xu Hei was ranked eighth, facing the ninth, Wen Tailai.

”The usual rule, you have one hour to prepare,” the Water Kylin announced loudly.

In the second round, most matches held no suspense.

Only a few would draw attention, such as Xu Hei versus Wen Tailai.

Xu Hei hadn’t expected the ranking to be based on time spent. He had wasted quite a bit of time investigating Lin Cai, which led to his eighth-place ranking.

Wen Tailai, ranked ninth, had encountered the suspected devious trickster Zhao Wenzhuo and had a tough time dealing with him, making his ranking not reflect his true strength.

”Xu Hei, meeting me in the second round is just your bad luck. You’re destined to stop here.”

Wen Tailai was fully confident.

……

Penglai Sea, Heavenly Roc clan, pill refining area.

Yuan Hua and his two teammates stood guard on an island, holding magical treasures, their eyes scanning the surroundings.

Their team hadn’t participated in the year-end tournament; they had tasks to complete, specifically guarding the pill refining area.

Though they didn’t know what needed guarding.

Could it be that someone would take this opportunity to sneak in and steal pills?

The three of them were responsible for the eastern herb garden, a vast and sparsely populated area with only immature spirit medicines and a few sparse formations. Even if there were thieves, they wouldn’t choose this place.

”I wonder how that damned Xu Hei is doing.”

”Haha, didn’t you have Gong Tianhe deal with him? That snake will either die or be crippled.”

Yuan Hua chatted leisurely with a frog-like creature.

”But I feel uneasy, as if something is about to happen,” Yuan Hua frowned, a shadow of worry clouding his heart.

”You’re not afraid of Xu Hei seeking revenge, are you? You know Gong Tianhe’s strength; there’s no need to worry. Even if they don’t meet in the tournament, they can cripple him afterward,” the frog-like creature laughed.

Yuan Hua held a trident, his gaze fixed on the distant sea. In his vision, a shadow seemed to spread from the sea, growing closer, as if something massive and invisible was blocking the sunlight.

”What is that?”

Yuan Hua’s pupils contracted, and he felt his hair stand on end.

The next second!

A figure emerged from the ground in front of him, standing right before him, clad in a blood-red cloak, with a hooked nose and eyes like a griffin.

The figure smiled slightly and said, ”Nice to meet you, farewell!”

If Xu Hei were here, he would recognize the figure as Blood Vengeance, a deacon from the oil extraction unit!

In just over a year, Blood Vengeance’s cultivation had reached the Elemental Infant stage.

In Yuan Hua’s eyes, it seemed like he was facing not a person but a blood-drenched demon.

”Retreat quickly!”

His companion shouted.

”Thud!”

Before the words were finished, Yuan Hua felt a shock in his chest. Looking down, he saw nothing but emptiness where his heart should have been!

Blood Vengeance swallowed the heart in one gulp, saying, ”Fish heart, truly foul.”

Yuan Hua’s strength vanished, his life force rapidly draining away, like a plant deprived of water.

His two teammates fled at their fastest speed, but Blood Vengeance was faster. His hands shot out like springs, swift and precise, extracting the hearts from the two demons’ chests.

”Pathetic!”

After swiftly killing the three, Blood Vengeance rushed into the herb garden, wreaking havoc as the formations proved useless.

His task was simple: cause destruction, kill as many as possible, and create chaos. All the deacons shared this goal.

”Whoosh!”

Suddenly, a blazing spear shot from the darkness, like a candle flame emerging from the shadows, growing brighter and more intense.

”Boom!”

Blood Vengeance hastily summoned a shield, colliding with the spear, resulting in a massive explosion of red light.

The attacker was none other than the team captain, Tiger Shark, engulfed in flames as if possessed by the fire god. The flames burned not only on his body but also in his heart.

”Today, you’ll pay with blood!”

……

Toad lineage.

The two teams stationed here also suffered attacks from Sea God Sect followers. Two demonic cultivators at the Elemental Infant stage, along with a group of Core Formation cultivators, entered and wreaked havoc, killing any demon they encountered.

Simultaneously, slaughter incidents occurred throughout the Penglai Sea.

All six lineages faced sudden attacks, with various signal flares exploding in the sky, and countless communication talismans flying towards Martial Arts Island.